The Role of Avesta in the Formation of a Healthy Lifestyle in the Khorezm Oasis

THE ROLE OF AVESTA IN THE FORMATION OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IN THE KHOREZM OASIS

Guzal Razzokova Senior Lecturer of the Department of History Teaching Methods. Jizzakh State Pedagogical Institute, Jizzakh, Uzbekistan

Zaynab Abidova PhD in historical sciences, Head of the Social sciences department, Urgench branch of Tashkent Medical Academy, Urgench, Uzbekistan

ANNOTATION This article is about the role of Avesta in the formation of a healthy lifestyle in the Khorezm oasis I-V centuries. Zoroastrian religion was worshipped by ancient peopleof Central Asia and serves as a main base in formation of modern medicine. Avesta was a holy doctrine which was of great importance not only for uzbek, iranian, tajik ancestors but for modern generation either. KEY WORDS: Khorezm oasis, Zoroastrian religion, Avesta, healthy lifestyle, nature, purity.

INTRODUCTION natural purity of the environment. Analysis of In ancient time the population in the medical problems, described in „‟Avesta‟‟, indicates Khorezm oasis worshipped Zoroastrian that the global medical and biological systems of religion.Avesta is a collection of religious, folklore, knowledge concerns a doctrine of achieving purity, geographical, medical, philosophical,literary, which was considered to be the greatest blessing, pedagogical and psychological data. Initially, in reliable guarantee of preservation of human and Avesta alongside with moral concepts ecological environmental health[12, 340]. issueswere of great importance. For example in The cleanliness necessary for preservation of zoroastrizm (national religion of ancestors of the physical and spiritual health of the person, and purity population of Central Asia) the light, the sun and fire of environment were considered as the whole were the symbols of the highest deity of Akhura consisting of inseparable from each other parts. This Mazda[1, 230]. approach to solving the problems of purity was due Fire was a source of heat in frosty winters, to the fact that in the era of Zoroaster people, on the because of cooked food. In the ancient time to kindle basis of their daily life experience and observations, a fire was very hard work and people tried to store a knew that the occurrence of many diseases depends fire. It had not only religious but also educational on the defilement of the body, household items, meaning. Therefore, in modern avestologythe term water, food, as well as soil and air pollution[18, 167]. „‟Avestical Medicine‟‟which paid a huge attention to It is not accidentally that the slogan “Who a healthy lifestyle is wildly used. The Avestical defiles the earth, water, air and fire, commits the medicine as an independent medical system with greatest sin which won‟t be forgiven” is traced more than 2700th year history, serves humanity and through the entire of Avesta with a red thread. became an integral part of a world civilization [2, Violators of these rules were severely punished [13, 167]. 180]. In that era, medicine was considered to be the Our ancient ancestors of impurity contained art of preserving the body and spirit in a clean and in special places, far from food and water sources. In healthy condition, restoring human health, lost the „‟Avesta‟‟ cleanliness was associated with health and

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disease, within the framework of these requirements of a healthy lifestyle, which is the natural order of all medicine of the Zoroastrian era was functioned things‟‟[3, 22]. [20, 340]. The Man, from the point of view of the Naturally Avesta doctors, could not know doctrine of Zoroastrianism, for the preservation and about the existence of the world of microorganisms enhancement of himself and society as a whole, as a source of infection with infectious diseases. should be guided by the will, reason, experience, However, based on daily observations, they knew wisdom and conscience. Of these five internal forces, that dirt getting into food, into drinking water or into which in total are the spiritual part of a healthy the composition of inhaled air, contributes to the material body, in Avesta a great place is given to emergence of various diseases. This was the greatest conscience- Daena. Therefore, Daena is considered discovery ofAvesta‟s physicians, which helped them one of the greatest finds of the prophet Zoroaster[8, to develop a number of publicly available rules or 130]. canons directly related to maintaining ways to restore For example, the following stanza from Yasht natural purity lost as a result of human intervention. that is repeated in many parts of Avesta: And Therefore, in the era of Zoroastrianism, doctors were Vertranta gave him, the creation of Ahura, the power attributed to the higher social class - priests of hands, male power, the health of the whole body, (farishta‟‟)[19, 347]. endurance and stamina, and sharpness of vision [2, The rules of purification of water, earth, air 430]. and fire in Avesta are developed in great details. For Or in the parts devoted to Ashi (Yasht, 17) the example, it was strictly forbidden to throw sewage, following lines are given: We honor good Ashi, great dead animals and birds into the water, and even it mistress, Beautiful glorified, Mighty and strong, was impossible to spit into the water[9, 280]. The Giving health, Giving good [4, 360]. Zoroastrians preserved the purity of the soil, water Thus, in Avesta and in General in Zoroaster‟s and fire in such a way that they did not even bury the teachings it is possible to find recommendations dead in the ground, did not burn in the fire, did not concerning observance of rules of food and throw them into the water, but placed them in special household hygiene. . The purity canons connected places far from settlements - in mountainous areas or with maintaining health and safety of water sources in the so-called „‟towers of silence‟‟.The Zoroastrians and foodstuff, formed a basis for formation of the used fire, ash, water and smoke as a means of requirements aimed at providing purity of a home fighting against decay and stench. They were the and they can rightly be considered as the first literary basis of disinfectants[16, 434]. sources of household hygienerules. Avesta‟s tribes carried out ceremonies of The complex of measures aimed at ensuring cleanliness of a body by ablution from head to foot the purity and health of irrigated land and soil is the with cold water and, thereby, tempered themselves, basis of ecology. All these factors are closely related and did not merge the dirty water in water sources. to ensuring of physical and spiritual health of a Methods of purification, in turn, were included in the person[17, 256]. composition of ritual purification ways, the In the process of developing a healthy implementation of which was considered mandatory lifestyle in the Avestan medical system, special for all Zoroastrians [21, 334].Therefore, they are attention was paid to spiritual and religious deeply rooted among the followers of this religion. education, as well as teaching people the rules of Many of them are still preserved among the Central personal,public hygiene and gave the necessary Asian people in the form of rituals and ethnic environmental knowledge. Such a practical approach traditions, for example: while kindling hyssop had not only educational, but also health –improving (hazorispanda) and inhaling its smoke, or observing value[7, 250]. the ban on mixing household waste with ashes, The wisdom of the Avesta‟s medical system etc[15, 210]. lies in the fact that in this ancient recommendation, Avesta‟s call „‟A person should have good the problems of protecting human health are thoughts, kind words, kind actions‟‟ has not only considered together with environmental ones. ethical-pedagogical, religious and philosophical, but Avestan medical system has left a deep imprint on also medical value, aimed at improving the body and world culture. It contributed to the creation of ancient soul of a person and ensuring a healthy lifestyle[10, Persian and Central Asian medical terminology. 178]. Many Persian-Tajik and Uzbek medical terms have This ethical „‟triad‟‟ can be traced in all parts Avesta roots [14, 234]. The recipes for the of the Avesta, and its interpretations, found in later preparation of the sacred drink “haoma” and the philosophical and historical sources, prove that the Avesta methods of healing the spirit and body of a main core of human existence is the observance of person are still preserved in traditional medicineof justice law (Asha). According to M. Boyce, „‟Asha Central Asia[6, 280]. is truth, justice, loyalty, courage and the introduction

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In „‟Vendidote‟‟ is told about the ways of 6. Biruni Abu Reihan. India/Translated by spreading diseases through the polluted air (i.e.,the A.Halidov, J.Zavadsky. Under the editorship of respiratory tract), poor-quality products and polluted BelyaevaV/ A.R.Biruni. - М.:Ladomir, 1995. - 57 water, through contact with sick people, animals, p. birds, and insects. Knowledge of the main ways of 7. Botirov A.S. Avesto and values. – Tashkent: Fan, 1987. –P.68. spreading diseases allowed representatives of the 8. Boyes Mary. Zoroastrians.Beliefs and Traditions/ Avesta medicine to develop a complete system of M.Boyes. - M.: Science, 1987. - 280 p. evidence-based preventive measures aimed at 9. Djurayev H.S. Ancient history.– Tashkent: protecting people from various diseases by Noshir, 2010. –P.34-35. maintaining cleanliness[13, 124]. Therefore, of 10. NuralievJu.N. Avesto Medicine and its Basic course, the thesis “cleanliness - in this world the Goals/Ju.N.Nuraliev. - Hamburg, 1998. - 250 p. greatest good for people” - has played a large role for 11. NuralievJu.N. Medicine in thousands of years not only in protecting health and Avesto/Yu.N.Nuraliev// Unity. 1999. -7. –Р.1-3 ensuring a healthy lifestyle for people, but also in the 12. Odilov E.T. History of religion. – Tashkent: Fan, nature[5, 57]. 1997. –P.64. 13. Oripov R.B. Hidoyatva din. – Tashkent: Noshir, Traditions of cultivating a healthy spirit have 2010. –P.74-75. a very ancient origin and are associated with Avesta. 14. Pardayev Z.E. Sound of history.– Tashkent: Our ancient ancestors routinely engaged in equestrian Mumtozsoz, 1995. –P.11. sports, archery and free-style wrestling, which 15. Raximov H.U. History if Uzbekistan. – Tashkent: indicates a healthy lifestyle in historically distant Noshir, 2014. –P.73-74. times. The physical abilities of young people were 16. Shamsutdinov R.A. History of Uzbekistan.– taken into account when entering into marriage and Tashkent: Fan, 2015. –P.32 33. family relations[11, 230]. 17. Tohirov S.A. Avesto and medicine. – Tashkent: All in all, we can conclude that for many Noshir, 2012. –P.94. centuries, mankind has asked itself the question: 18. Usmonov R.E. Avesto. – Tashkent: Fan, 2010. – P.48. „‟How to preserve health and how to prolong life?‟‟. 19. Utayev J.U. Manaviyatasoslari. – Tashkent: Answers to these questions were discussed by the Noshir, 2011. –P.21-22. best scientists,trying to find their own recipes to 20. Homidiy H., Duschanov B. Avesto and medicine, healthy lifestyle. – Tashkent: Ibn Sino, 2001.–P 22. 21. Hodiyev R.T. Manaviyattarixi. – Tashkent: CONCLUSIONS Noshir, 2016. –P.56. Actually, among teaching that has come down to us from ancestors are those that coincide with the recommendations of modern medicine and the rules of a healthy lifestyle and can be fully used by people in everyday life, benefiting from the wealth of wisdom that has survived to our day. Therefore, the main task facing modern scientists working in the field of medicine, pedagogy, valeology and other related sciences is to educate the younger generation to preserve their health in the atmosphere of full physical and psychological perfection for the benefit of the Motherland.

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2021 EPRA SEEO | www.eprajournals.com | Journal DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra0314 10